The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-09-23
The Soil of Christian Faith and the AtmOs-
phere of True Religion the Proper COndi-
ton for Human Development.

phere OF True Religion the Proper COnOi-
ton for Human Development.
In Jeremiah xvii. 5-S, there is a con-
trast presented between two modes of
life; one resulting from a trust in man,
the other from a trust in the Lord. The
one is like the heath in the desert. The
vegetable growth of the desert, whether
| of plant or tree, is necessarily stunted
and untruthful. 1t offers no shade to
the weary traveller and scant nOurish-
mcnt to the beast. The product of an
arid soil, parching heat. salt and
rocky land. it partakes of the general
dcsolation and Loneliness. 1t does not
see when good cometh. The reviving
rain and the refreshing dew come in
vain. 1t remains unchanged. unblessed
by all the blessings that descend. The
fruitful season that SD glorilies all ma
ture, brings no enlargement or beauty
to it. 1t is the fit product of a salt and
unhabitable land.
Even SO is the man living in unbe-
lief. trusting in man, making flesh his
arm. and departing in heart from the
Lord. Looking only to man. he rises
not above the level around. He renders
no Difference to any other. aspires to
the favor of none other. He lives only
for the seen. The material and perish
able only affect them. The inspira-
tons of his life and character come
only from the temporal. And these in
their treachcry. their fraility, their de-
basement, are to be the man what the
desert is to the tree. There is dwarf
ed. fruitless. desolate life. The unbe-
lief that withholds the heart from God
and shuts the man up to the human
and the earthly, defects all the glorious
possibilities of existence. The man
Toes not grow rs he ought, does not
reach the exalted end for which he was
designed. As the heath in the desert,
blasted by scorching heat and rooted
in the rocks and sands, he shows life
without beauty or usefulness. "Curs-
ed be the man that trusted in man. and
whose heart departeth from the Lord.
For he shall be like the heart in the de-
scrt and shall not see when good
cometh; b. shall inhabit the parched
places in the wilderness. in a salt land
md not inhabited.' Blighted in life
and desolate in his inheritance the be-
ing is failure.
But, on the other hand. is the happy
growth and fruitfuiness of u tree that
Is planted by the waters. Its roots
spread out by the river, and drink in
the living water plentifully. 1t rises
to the full proportions Of tree, the
grandest product of vegetation. 1t
does not see when heat cometh, shows
no sign of withered leaf or persisted
fruit. Beautiful. noble in proportion.
grateful in shade and plentiful in fruit,
it is the delight of contemplation. And
the man "whO trusts in the Lord and
whose hope the Lord isl is like that.
The soil of Christian faith. the atmos-
phere of true religion, is the proper
condition for human development.
The living water flowing from Christ
in glad refreshment to the believer,
the rich soil of the Word contributing
its nourishment and the blessed light
of hope lending its inspiration, the
man grows to his true proportions and
fulfilTs his destiny of usefulness.
There. in his daily life, is the beauty
of holiness. there the precious fruits of
the spirit. love. JOY. peace. long suffer-
ing, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek
ness, temperance. These are the bene-
ficient graces that shine out to the
view. And this fruitfulness and ever
fresh life the blasting heat of adversely
and temptation can not destroy in
man. The refreshing waters are
abundant and through faith they
carry life to the thirsty soul. And so
in all the fiery trials that come. amid
all the unpropitious circumstances
that surround, the life still glows in
beauty and the character grows in
power.
That truly pious character is not al
ways as attractive in the present as is
a well watered and fruitful tree is due
to the difference between the natural
and moral eye. The natural eye. in
the perfection of its structure and its
adaptation to the seeing of natural OBJ
jects, never fails to recognize and de-
light in the baAsty and g;ory of iv-